For Dinner: Cassoullet Castelnaudary, with
Pumpkin Pie for dessertMood: Believing yet unbelieving.
Written in the Year of our Lord 3580, March 10th,
Sunday night.Location: the good ship Earth's Memory en route from the Kami
system to the Frost Giant System, at the mercy of the Edenite
drive in otherspace.

I did a small service for myself in my room, although Godiva
wanted to watch the consecration of the host. Without prompting from myself
or Hawkins, she adopted a demure black dress, at least for the duration
of the service.

"What do you use for AIs?"

"There are holograms of bread and wine. They
are also blessed. Since there is nothing beyond the power of God, the blessing
of the Host effects that also."

"But they can't really eat or drink them."

"They take in the information, like you downloading
something. We leave it to God. If you see it only on a level of symbolism,
then the symbols work. If there is something deeper, it's too deep merely
on a human level to understand, dealing with actual bread and wine. We
cannot put limits on the power of God."

"You really do believe."

"Oh, there are times when it seems unlikely. But
there are times travelling faster-than-light, trusting my life to a science
that none but an Edenite truly comprehends, seems pretty unlikely too..."

"Good point. It's been interesting, Father."

Hawkins showed up in the gym, and wanted a match with me
that afternoon. We had an enjoyable match, although he was a little slow.
I beat him, and he laughed. "Well, at least a priest who fights is good
for something!"

"Gracious as always." I gave him a hand up. "Do you
talk to His Eminence that way?"

"I speak to that silver spook as little as possible.
But sometimes you just have to."

"Oh:? I would have thought you two would be on fairly
friendly terms if he would entrust a fairly sensitive mission with you."

"Well...you wouldn't think it to look at me....but
I know the Empress. We're friends. I think he cuts me some slack because
of that."

"You know the Empress? Must be nice....I've
just barely seen her from afar. Did you like her?"

"Oh, yeeeaah."

He almost sounded like he was in love with
her. Well, the entire Imperial line is selected for the genes that
include personal magnetism. Their bodyguards often have to guard
against love-obsessed fanatics rather than political assassins. If he met
with her once, he might have conjured up quite an affection for her.

"I was once at the Palace....believe me or
not, Father, I was. Behind the palace is a network of pools, personal
lakes for the Empress, natural formations on Shina-To-Be. The silver vegetation
shot up and reflected against the lakes, and it was like a series of shimmering
silver ribbons. Walkways across the lakes were everywhere. Music followed
us everywhere....but then we came to where there was a live performer,
with nothing but simple instruments, no amplifiers, no digital enhancers.
Singing songs as old as the sea, as old as the yearning between a man and
a woman....

"One morning, one morning, one morning in
May..... "There was a young couple a-making their
way.... "One was a lady, so bright and so fair...."

His voice was surprisingly clear and
strong. I finished it for him..

"One was a soldier, a brave legionnaire.

"'Good morning, good morning, good morning
said he.... "'Where are you going, my pretty lady?' "'Oh, I'm going down to the south,
I'm going down by the sea.... "'Just to see the waters glide, and hear
the nightengale sing.'"

Hawkins laughed. "Good. You know it.
But it's different hearing the high sweet voice of one of the best singers
in the Cluster, accompanied by some of the most skilled musicians in the
Cluster. I had a rough life....raised in asteroids in the Arthurian
system, occasionally visiting Lancelot and Merlin. Yet that moment....the
Empress laughing at my jokes, silver water and silver trees, songs sweeter
and finer than I've ever heard....they make the finest, most beautiful
moment that I have spent on any world, at any time."

I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't think Hawkins
was lying, but it was hard to credit. this roughhewn joker hobnobbing with
the Empress of human space. On the other hand, she was young, younger
than I, and occasionally prone to whims from what I heard. It was possible....barely.
It would explain why he, rather than a Community transport was entrusted
by the Cardinal.